USA: Seaplane engulfed in flames after emergency landing, all 11 aboard evacuated
Representational image. Collected.
A Kenmore Air floatplane carrying 11 people made a harrowing emergency landing in the waters off Sucia Island on July 23, bursting into flames shortly after touching down and triggering a large-scale, multinational rescue effort in Washington state's San Juan Islands.
The U.S. Coast Guard Sector Puget Sound received a distress call at approximately 5:25 p.m. local time—roughly ten minutes after the aircraft set down in Shallow Bay—reporting that the seaplane had caught fire. According to a statement released by the Coast Guard on X, all 11 individuals on board were successfully accounted for following the incident.
In response to the emergency, the Coast Guard confirmed that U.S., Canadian, and local rescue teams swiftly "launched multiple assets to assist with the rescue." Several survivors were subsequently transported to nearby hospitals for medical evaluation and treatment.
Kenmore Air later identified the stricken aircraft as a de Havilland DHC-3 Otter. The flight had departed from Seattle’s Lake Union and was bound for Roche Harbor on San Juan Island when it went down at approximately 5:15 p.m. near Sucia Island, according to the airline. The company stated that the aircraft carried 10 passengers and one pilot, all of whom have been accounted for.
The San Juan County Sheriff's Office reported that multiple individuals sustained injuries in the crash, ranging from head trauma and broken bones to severe lacerations. At least one person remains in critical condition. Kenmore Air noted that two injured passengers were airlifted to medical facilities in Bellingham, Washington, while two others were transported to Orcas Island for initial treatment.
